D&D 5E Customizing Home Base

[Lanefan]

Yes, yes, yes, and yes! I'm looking at more of a manor house, though, than a stronghold. Would the 1e DMG still be useful?

Maybe? I can't remember if it gives costs etc. for structures other than strongholds/castles.

And I was planning on leaving the design up to the players, but wanted some templates to give them ideas.

If all you're after is a manor house, rather than a keep or full castle, things get a lot easier.

If they're in a classical Greek or Roman setting there's numerous floorplans and cutaways available online for various sizes of villas: google "roman villa layout" and you'll find a boatload of 'em. If it's more bog-standard medieval then try googling "medieval manor layout".

In either case, it might be simpler if they buy an existing manor house (meaning you-as-DM can provide the floorplan) and then renovate it to suit their own needs.

 

[R_J_K75]

In either case, it might be simpler if they buy an existing manor house (meaning you-as-DM can provide the floorplan) and then renovate it to suit their own needs.

Thanks. I am giving them the option of gaining a rundown inn (from Dragon Heist) but am assuming that they will turn it into a shared home instead of trying to run the business. That won't have nearly as much upkeep, but would give them storage space along with room for workshops of their own.

City Systems from the 1E AD&D has a few noble villas laid out on the maps, but beware these maps are huge, though the manor portion are on the sides so you can easily just photocopy or scan one and give them that. Do a google search for D&D manor house or similar and you'll get lots of hits.

City Sites Might be of use too.

City Sites (2e) - Wizards of the Coast | AD&D 2nd Ed. | Accessories | AD&D 2nd Ed. | Dungeon Masters Guild

City Sites (2e) - City Sites, the first in a series of AD&D game floorplans, includes extensive details on urban settings that player

www.dmsguild.com

 

[mrpopstar]

Yes, yes, yes, and yes! I'm looking at more of a manor house, though, than a stronghold. Would the 1e DMG still be useful?

And I was planning on leaving the design up to the players, but wanted some templates to give them ideas.

Referring back to the tables for stocking a dungeon in the Dungeon Master's Guide, an English-style manor house is essentially an unfortified stronghold. Simply forego armories, barracks, etc.

There's a list of National Trust properties in England on Wikipedia you might use for inspiration. Some of the linked articles, like the one detailing Basildon Park, include internal layouts or blueprints.

 

[el-remmen]

Is the domain a kingdom, or just a general name for a home base?

From what I understand from skimming the book (haven't dug deep yet because I have a hard time focusing on a screen for reading books and am hoping print versions are available soon), a domain can range in size from an HQ to a Kingdom. And they give the party special teamwork powers that are refreshed after an "extended rest." In other words, by going back to the homebase for a week to recharge, recuperate, and prepare.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Maybe? I can't remember if it gives costs etc. for structures other than strongholds/castles.

If all you're after is a manor house, rather than a keep or full castle, things get a lot easier.

If they're in a classical Greek or Roman setting there's numerous floorplans and cutaways available online for various sizes of villas: google "roman villa layout" and you'll find a boatload of 'em. If it's more bog-standard medieval then try googling "medieval manor layout".

In either case, it might be simpler if they buy an existing manor house (meaning you-as-DM can provide the floorplan) and then renovate it to suit their own needs.

We already have a floorplan. What we don't have is costs of remodeling it so that basements become workshops, etc.

 

[Lanefan]

We already have a floorplan. What we don't have is costs of remodeling it so that basements become workshops, etc.

Well, if you've got by-day/week/month costs for labourers and specialists e.g. architect, engineer, master stonemason (the 1e DMG has these) and can vaguely estimate how long their renovations might take, you can do the math on those to give a good starting point. On to that, add costs for whatever building supplies they'll need. Then, knock off costs for what the PCs can do themselves, and-or for any magical help they can either provide or arrange for (e.g. one Dig spell can save a lot of person-days in labour and a bunch of time as well).

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

Kelemvor: OK, I am now about to judge your soul.
Adventurers: yep, we're ready for this formality on our way to the upper planes.
Kelemvor: I'd send you to Arvendor, because up to 9th level, you fought against the slavers of Faerun, first gangs, the Lolthite, then Thayvians...
Adventurers: we're the good ones!
Kelemvor: However, starting at level 10, you got your stronghold and... set up slaver raids?
Adventurers: ah, this time, yes, but we had no choice: do you know the cost of unskilled labor these days???

Going with the daily rates of some specialists is difficult because honestly, it's difficult to estimate how much work can a fantasy laborer do in a day for a given speciality. A better approach might be to derive it from global cost of a "finished" product.

A stronghold is one of the few money drains in 5e, if you don't allow magical items shopping, so don't be afraid of jacking up the cost if they intend to care a lot about their manor. If you want an idea of the duration of the total cost, here's what Wikipedia has on the Chambord Castle, which may be bigger than what your adventurers need (but for which we have accounting data):

Regardless of who designed the château, on 6 September 1519 Francis Pombriant was ordered to begin construction of the Château de Chambord.[17] The work was interrupted by the Italian War of 1521–1526, and work was slowed by dwindling royal funds[18] and difficulties in laying the structure's foundations. By 1524, the walls were barely above ground level.[17] Building resumed in September 1526, at which point 1,800 workers were employed building the château. At the time of the death of King Francis I in 1547, the work had cost 444,070 livres.[18]

Unskilled labor cost varied, but the order of magnitude at this period was around 0,1 to 0,15 livre a day -- it's difficult to compare costs, but going by a day's wage to calculate costs might be sufficent for rpgs -- and if we go with 2sp a day as per the DMG, the total cost was (444,070/0.1)x2sp, or 600,000 to 900,000. The castle is 120mx160m. The cost however can be significantly brought down by magic.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Well, if you've got by-day/week/month costs for labourers and specialists e.g. architect, engineer, master stonemason (the 1e DMG has these) and can vaguely estimate how long their renovations might take, you can do the math on those to give a good starting point. On to that, add costs for whatever building supplies they'll need. Then, knock off costs for what the PCs can do themselves, and-or for any magical help they can either provide or arrange for (e.g. one Dig spell can save a lot of person-days in labour and a bunch of time as well).

Sounds like I'll need to get that 1e DMG at some point. I'll probably wait, though, to see if my players actually bite on the possibilities a home base offers.

 

[77IM]

I made this thing! It's only 3 pages and is meant to look more like an equipment list than an entirely new subsystem to learn.

Party Base

 

[aco175]

We already have a floorplan. What we don't have is costs of remodeling it so that basements become workshops, etc.

You can have a few henchmen show up with the ability to repair and remodel. Now you have built in story hooks and families and such. Just tell the Pcs that it will cost 500gold to start and another 500 in about a month. Make rooms for the henchmen and their families to run any tavern or such connected with it.

Now you can slide in secret doors if the NPCs betray them or mirrors to another location like a portal or prison. A hidden pentagram for summoning demons and such. Have fun with it.